3D pointing devices and methods

Abstract

Systems and methods according to the present invention address these needs and others by providing a handheld device, e.g., a 3D pointing device, which uses at least one sensor to detect motion of the handheld device. The detected motion can then be mapped into a desired output, e.g., cursor movement.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for controlling a system comprising the steps of:
 detecting a movement associated with a device by motion sensors; 
 separating the detected movement into an intentional movement and a tremor pattern by extracting a set of features from data associated with the detected movement, a type of the features in the set being such as to distinguish the tremor data, reducing the set of extracted features, and identifying clusters in the data based on the reduced set of extracted features; 
 determining by a processor if said tremor pattern indicates that said device is currently being held by a user whose tremor pattern has previously been stored using the identified clusters; and 
 controlling said system by the processor according to said intentional movement, if a result of said determining step indicates that the device is currently being held by the user whose tremor pattern has previously been stored. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining step includes a step of:
 identifying said user based upon matching (A) the tremor pattern separated from said detected movement with (B) a previously stored tremor pattern among a plurality of stored tremor patterns associated with user identities. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of:
 selectively turning said system on based upon said step of identifying. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 turning said system on if the result of said determining step indicates that said device is currently being held by the user whose tremor pattern has previously been stored. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of:
 restricting access to said system based upon an identity of said user. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein said system is a media system and said step of restricting access further comprises the step of:
 selectively permitting said user to access a media item based upon said identity. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 , wherein said tremor pattern and said plurality of stored tremor patterns are in the frequency domain. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 2 , wherein said tremor pattern and said plurality of stored tremor patterns are in the time domain. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 2 , wherein if a match does not occur between said tremor pattern and any stored tremor pattern in said plurality of stored tremor patterns, then said tremor pattern is stored. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 2 , wherein if a match does not occur between said tremor pattern and any stored tremor pattern in said plurality of stored tremor patterns, then said user is assigned a default set of system access permissions. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of:
 retrieving preference settings associated with said user based on said identifying step. 
 
     
     
       12. An interface between a 3D pointing device and a display, comprising:
 a processing unit configured
 to receive information from sensors detecting a movement associated with a device, 
 to separate the detected movement into an intentional movement and a tremor pattern by extracting a set of features from data associated with the detected movement, a type of the features in the set being such as to distinguish the tremor data, reducing the set of extracted features, and identifying clusters in the data based on the reduced set of extracted features; 
 to determine whether said tremor pattern indicates that said 3D pointing device is currently being held by a user whose tremor pattern has previously been stored using the identified clusters, and 
 to transmit control information to the display, if the processing unit has determined that said 3D pointing device is currently being held by the user whose tremor pattern has previously been stored. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The interface of  claim 12 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to identify said user based upon matching (A) the tremor pattern separated from said detected movement with (B) a previously stored tremor pattern among a plurality of stored tremor patterns associated with user identities. 
     
     
       14. The interface of  claim 13 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to selectively turn said system on based upon a result of said identifying. 
     
     
       15. The interface of  claim 13 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine an access level of the user to said system via said 3D pointing device based on an identity of said user established during said identifying. 
     
     
       16. The interface of  claim 12 , wherein if a match does not occur between said tremor pattern and any stored tremor pattern in said plurality of stored tremor patterns, the processing unit is further configured to perform at least one of
 storing said tremor pattern; and 
 assigning a default set of system access permissions to the user. 
 
     
     
       17. The interface of  claim 13 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to retrieve preference settings associated with said user based on said identifying. 
     
     
       18. The interface of  claim 12 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to turn said system on, if said processing unit has determined that said device is currently being held by a user whose tremor pattern has previously been stored. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing the tremor pattern of the user holding the device steadily for a given time interval. 
 
     
     
       20. The interface of  claim 12 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to store the tremor pattern of the user holding the device steadily for a given time interval.